Covert Assumptions
by fahrenheit469
Summary: Raven and Changeling go undercover to infiltrate the Brotherhood of Evil. The Brotherhood is planning something big and it must be uncovered and stopped. Real danger lies around every corner for our heroes which leads to the reveal of rising emotions and well kept secrets.
1. Chapter 1

The rain spilled down in heavy buckets, as if the clouds were purging their contents rather than merely releasing water droplets. Lighting struck, thunder clapped, and Raven yelled. She wasn't in a particularly patient mood today. In fact, the weather complimented her attitude very well; out of control. A rare mood for her, but strong when it surfaced.

"Changeling, you are such an immature asshole! I need meditation. I need concentration. I need solitude! Please, for the sake of my sanity and your own safety, anytime you come near me take one minute and consciously decide if what you are doing will be beneficial to anyone. And by beneficial to anyone, I mean me," Raven ranted to a sheepish and terrified looking Changeling.

"Honestly, Rae-"

"Ven."

"Raven. Really, I was just trying to see if you still knew what was going on around you when you meditate. I just get curious," he replied, crouching away from her. After all, there were a multitude of black objects floating threateningly in the space around him.

Raven sighed sharply through her teeth, "That is not important. Curiosity doesn't justify your behavior. Nothing except some horrible emergency justifies your behavior. I don't need anymore excuses. Just remember what I said. A minute, Changeling, a minute." She walked away and the objects dropped to the ground with a harsh clatter, making Changeling cringe. Left to organize the room by himself, Garfield waged his frequently fought inner war on whether to apologize to Raven or brush off her reprimand.

The grey girl was exhausted. She hadn't been getting much sleep. Tension in the tower had escalated with the rise of the Brotherhood of Evil. It made it hard for her to sleep with the mess of emotions flurrying around the place, always active and screaming for someone to notice, which she couldn't help but to. So instead of sleep she had been compensating by doing the next best thing, meditation. Those were the ingredients that Changeling found to be quite explosive when prodded.

Azar! He's an idiot. Who in their right mind would sneak up on a person meditating? Physical awareness is limited in meditation. He should know that, she thought to herself.

Raven's thoughts were scattered and she entered her room absentmindedly. She lit her incense absentmindedly, she grabbed a book absentmindedly, and she flopped on her bed absentmindedly. Suddenly she realized something; the tower was silent. Sure there was the hum of the electricity units working the security system, and the occasional hustle and bustle echoes of the city the tower received even from the distance; but that wasn't what she didn't hear. Or more, didn't feel. Raven realized it wasn't silence, it was absence. The emotions that had plagued the tower for the last several weeks were gone. There were traces, like with any strong feelings, but they didn't scream at her. She could rest.

Raven laid down on her bed content. She fell asleep right away.

Hours later, Raven opened her eyes. The first thing she liked to do when resurfacing to consciousness was recount the last person she spoke to. It was something that a child growing up in Azarath and being raised by priests was comforted by. As a young adult, it was merely an annoying habit.

She groaned to herself thinking of Changeling and how she left their conversation. Knowing she would pay for it next time she encountered him, she opted to stay in her room for the time being. That was another habit being formed.

Contrary to how the press characterize her, Raven actually became quite the social butterfly. Of course, in her own standards. She'd watch movies with her team, participate in group outings- as long as they were respectable and quiet- and she even had gone on several dates over the past years. None with serious intent since her job came first but just for the experience, which she deemed overall overrated. As of late, the mystic had been retreating back to her fortress. Socializing has just been draining her more than usual lately. Whatever the cause, Raven craved solitude much more frequently. She just hoped her team didn't get too offended by her recent tendencies.

For the past several years, the team had been going only by the Titans. Embarrassment had finally caught up to early twenty year olds who still called themselves Teen when in fact, they'd aged much more from the events of the previous years. Fighting crime is somehow a catalyst in maturing. Who knew.

Robin, the great and terrible leader, went by Nightwing now. Sure he donned a new, more mute costume and was referred to with a new name, but he was still their fearless and respected leader. And he was still one of Raven's closest friends in the team. Their bond brought two very like souls even closer with one another. He was one of the few people Raven felt totally comfortable with.

Cyborg was still good ole Cyborg. With the regular maintenance of his robotic parts, he hadn't changed aesthetically very much. And he still pulled through as being one of the most secretly wise team member.

Starfire remains the heart and soul of the team. Throughout the years she's gotten more accustomed to earthly ways. In fact, she spoke most languages known to man much to the dismay of Nightwing, her boyfriend, due to how she obtained her high lingual status. Although her costume changes from time to time, she always lets her hair down, her belly show, and her purple worn proudly.

Beast Boy-erm-hmm...Changeling had done the most growing up. Not surprising from the state he was in. Innocence can be preserved for so long. He still hasn't lost his childlike optimism. Or was it naivety? His Doom Patrol costume has been traded in for a black and red one with his own design.

Raven was hesitant to rise from bed. She had lost her temper, no doubt, but it seemed Changeling had been wearing her thin lately, aside from her lack of sleep. Perhaps it was the impending threat with The Brotherhood. Taking them down once wasn't enough apparently. Maybe he just needed some source of relief that came at the expense of her mental state. Whatever the cause, Raven tolerated none of his behavior.

She felt slightly rested, better than before, but still exhausted. A couple hours couldn't fix sleep deprivation that grew for weeks. And another headache was beginning to form between her eyes.

Raven weighed the options between more meditation or making herself tea. Deciding it was childish-and she was anything but childish-to hide away from Gar, Raven got up to make herbal tea. As she walked down the hallway, she felt the tensions in the tower rise again. In fact, it rose so high she felt like it was splitting her in two with its intensity. Something was wrong.

Flying fast to the source, Raven nearly smashed into Changeling. She put her arms out to prevent any body to body collision.

"Whoa, whoa! Where's the fire?" Gar asked, steadying her as she stood.

"Something's wrong Beast Boy. I can feel it. Someone's really distressed," Raven replied, trying to communicate how dire the situation was.

"Yeah. I know, Rae. I was actually on my way to get you. Let's go to the conference room."

They walked together in silence, with Raven briskly pacing ahead. She was attempting to keep her composure but she could feel something horribly wrong. Her nerves were on edge but she kept herself collected, for the sake of her teammate that would need it. The calm before the storm kept repeating over and over in her head.

Entering the conference room, she saw the rest of the team already there, sitting around their round steel table.

Raven's teammates looked worn. She supposed their sleep schedules had also been tampered and depleted. She took a seat next to Starfire, Changeling next to her.

"Alright Titans," Nightwing began, composed and determined, "There's a situation with The Brotherhood of Evil. We're lead to believe they have a weapon. Whether this is some mass destructive or human or the like, we're not sure. But if this is true, and our resources are consistently, then we need to take action."

"Friend Nightwing, please, if this is such a dire situation yet we are so the unsure about the details, what are the preventative measures we are able to utilize?"

"Good question, Star. This is where it gets concerning. I need two Titans to get more information and tell us exactly how to dispose of the weapon. We need to know what, or who it is. We need to know how dangerous it is. That requires some inside intel. I know it's a lot to ask, considering the dangers of the mission; but Changeling, Raven?- I need you two to find a way in."

The table was silent for a moment. Nightwing looked slightly earnest but resolute.

"Man, I don't know if that's a good idea, Spikey. There's no telling the risk. If they're caught…." Cyborg trailed off, leaving the rest to each Titan's imagination.

"I know. And I'm sorry to ask so much, but it's the only way we'll be able to gain the detailed information we need. Otherwise, we'll have a lot more to worry about than these two."

"Nightwing, I do understand that the weapon of which you speak of can be harmful to catastrophic consequences, but I am hesitant still in putting our friends into danger."

"...I am, too, Star. I thought of going in myself, in fact, but after some talk with Kid Flash and Speedy, it would be too detrimental for organization means. I'm sorry you two. And I understand if you refuse, but I can't think of any other heroes who are better equipped for a mission like this. Raven, you're good at hiding in the shadow, at blending into a crowd. With your...heritage, we can easily come up with a villainous persona. And your empathy might be just the thing to execute this perfectly."

Raven paled a little. Using her father's influence as a cover up angered her, but she understood how she'd be better than Kori or Vic.

"Changeling, you might be harder to disguise. We'd definitely need a holo-ring for your persona, but your abilities will prove beyond helpful. Your heightened sense of hearing and sight is essential to the mission. Also you're the most familiar with this organization and that will also be a huge advantage. Remember everything you knew about the Brotherhood from your time with the Doom Patrol. You'll need it. I hope you two will think this over and accept my request. You guys are definitely the most qualified for this stealthy operation."

With no hesitation Raven and Changeling accepted.

"I'll do anything to take the Brotherhood down," Changeling stated.

"It's our duty. Of course I'll go," Raven said.

"That's great news to hear. You'll be leaving within the week. We need to prepare you new personas and give more details on the mission. Titans out."

The five Titans disbanded and left the conference room in an array of emotions. Each with a newfound sense of anxiety much stronger than what existed in the tower before.

** It's gonna be a long night, Raven thought. **


	2. Chapter 2

For most young, naive heroes, good and bad were divided by a big yellow line, polished and pretty. As time goes on, realization dawns on them and they understand that the world is messier than the flip side of a coin. But that's only for some heroes.

Raven always understood the messy. Her very existence was the consequence of evil yet she still possessed humanity, understanding, and empathy, more so than most people since it attributed to her powers. That's the reason Raven is a firm believer in choices. Without choice, her chances for redemption would have been impossible. Redemption in terms of ensuring the citizens and monks of Azarath that she was not predisposed to be evil and destroy the world. Her freedom in choice made it so she could save lives, rather than harm them.

Her time conforming to earth's standards were difficult, still. People did not share her thought pattern. A liability; that's what she was. That's what the Justice League called her. The only reason they didn't eliminate her was because they had no idea the extent of her power, nor the curse set upon her. Redemption, she found, was made all the more difficult when it seemed no one cared for the outcome.

Then came the Titans. Admittedly, they saved her. There was no other way to put it. Without the team she would never have been strong enough to face the many challenges life seemed to toss carelessly at her. When so many others turned away from her in fear and distrust, the Titans accepted everything about her: her faults, her flaws, her temperament, simply because the rewards of being her friend encompassed everything she had to offer.

Although she rarely displayed it, Raven could not be more grateful to the Titans.

"Hey, Rae-"

"Ven."

"Ven. How do you feel about all this? Infiltrating and sneaking and imitating. It seems like it's gonna be dangerous and hard. Especially acting all villain-y," Changeling asked her.

They were in the common room. Raven, reading a book and Changeling, playing a videogame; both careless and casual in their mannerisms at the moment.

Raven lifted an eyebrow, "Well, frankly, I'm not exactly sure of my feelings."

"Not sure?" Changeling's face morphed into a look of concern, "I feel like you're always positive in your feelings. Now I'm kinda nervous."

"Changeling-Gar… You really shouldn't be concerned. I have full confidence in Nightwing's authority."

"Yeah, but… What about what he said about you?"

"Meaning?" Raven asked, instantly on guard.

"Raven," he said in an exasperated tone, "You know what I mean."

As years passed, it became harder and harder for Raven to intimidate Changeling. But that doesn't mean she still doesn't try.

"Do I?"

"What he said about you and why he picked you for the mission."

"As I previously stated, I'm unsure of my feelings on this matter. Particularly on Nightwing's evidence of my candidacy. I do understand my role might be more...believable...yet I also am conflicted with utilizing my heritage in such a way...I suppose if it's for the greater good, I'll have to make the sacrifice. It's not like we haven't made worse ones."

"Okay, but-"

"Changeling, I'm tired. This has been a long conversation. If you have a point, get to it."

"Do you think we're really gonna go through with it?" Changeling blurted.

Raven turned on the couch so that her body was facing his head on. She found he had already put his control down and was facing her in the same manner.

She pondered Changeling's question for a moment, trying to answer as genuinely as possible.

"I believe that we must do whatever is necessary to stop the Brotherhood. As heroes, it's our duty. Us refusing just endangers more."

Changeling paused for a moment, think about her answer. "Yeah, I totally understand that. Thanks, Rae-"

"Ven."

"Ven. I just wasn't sure about all of this."

"Well, be sure. I can't do this mission alone." She replied straight faced as always.

Changeling was slightly thrown off. Her reply revealed a sense of dependency she normally would keep hidden. Color stained his cheeks slightly.

"Uhh, yeah. I promise I won't bail on you Rae-Rae. I mean, I've fought the The Brotherhood for most of my life, so I know the sacrifices that come with it. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it." He said with a cheesy smile.

Raven rolled her eyes, not even bothering to correct him on her nickname and continued to read her book.

Just then, the door opened and Cyborg's voice boomed through the room, "Yo, Grass Stain! You up for a challenge? Bet I can beat your high score."

"Oh, dude, you're so on."

They played aggressively and vocally, distracting Raven from her book. Due to that, her mind wandered to what Changeling asked her. It did frustrate her that Nightwing chose her for the mission. Not because she was afraid or anything, but for his reasons. Dick may have a point, she grudgingly admitted, but that didn't excuse him essentially manipulating her situation. Her parentage has always been a sore subject, less so now simply because the end of the word had come and gone. But it was still sensitive nonetheless. Emotions, she realized as she so often did, had no consequence in what needed to be done, though. Whatever the reason, she still had to perform her duty.

That night, as she had predicted, was restless. Raven knew she needed sleep for the grueling week ahead. Nightwing will definitely put her and Changeling through the ringer in preparation. She thought of how exhausting these next few months are going to pan out and she blanched. Undercover, she'll have to always be on guard mentally, physically, emotionally. There might even be mind readers so she'll have to ensure Gar and her have protection against that, which then means incorporating that into their new aliases without being suspicious. How utterly exhausting.

She tossed and turned thinking of all the intricacies that the operation involved. Raven normally didn't sleep well, but she had to ensure she will be well rested for tomorrow. Tomorrow was the beginning of the operation, after all. She can't be useless with exhaustion.

Raven rose out of her bed to go to the kitchen. Perhaps tea will soothe her restless mind. As she walked through the doors, she saw Changeling, his back to her, looking out the window. His ears perked, so he knew she was there. Why hasn't he said anything, she wondered.

** Slowly, Raven walked up to him. She could hear his ears twitch at every little sound she made. When she got within a couple feet of his person, she reached her hand out to rest it on Changeling's shoulder. Once, twice, she rubbed her thumb across his shoulder blade. She heard him intake a small, sharp breath. Raven quickly spun around and returned to her room within a flash. She found it harder to sleep after that. **


	3. Chapter 3

"Focus! Concentrate! I want your whole head in this. Mind, body, spirit!" Nightwing shouted from the watch center of the training area.

_He's getting on my last nerve_, thought Raven as she whipped through the air, dodging androids' attacks. Sweat dripped down her temple. She almost laughed at how much her thighs burned. _Take away my powers and apparently I'm just an amateur gymnast not even Olympics worthy_, she berated herself.

Changeling, however, was doing magnificently. Commanded against using his powers as well, he still had a physical upper hand. _It makes sense_, Raven mused, _since he's such a physical guy with such a strong presence_. Just then, an android ripped a part of Raven's cape before she had time to dodge yet still in the nick of time before it shredded her insides. Oh, yeah. Concentrate. With one high jump off a robot's shoulders like a gymnast off a vault, she landed behind it and aimed its' laser beam arm at the surrounding attackers, then ripped the robot's head off.

"Good, Raven. If you know that your opponent is stronger, your strength will be in your counters, not your offensive attacks. And Gar, good job with your lot, too. Another method is just throwing them over your shoulder one after another," Nightwing grinned, poking fun at Changeling's methods or lack thereof. "You guys can take a quick break. Be back here after lunch."

Raven gave a quiet sigh of relief. She was sore. She was tired. Most of all, she was hungry. Levitating to the kitchen, she made herself some tea and heated up leftover Chinese food from dinner the previous night.

"Whoa, Rae. Wait up!" Changeling yelled, a hand outstretched in front of his running form. He stopped by the kitchen counter, hands on his thighs, catching a breath. "Raven, can't you ever just wait a minute." He whined.

"No."

"Fine. Then I won't ever wait for you either."

"I never asked you to."

"Well, whatever. Did you eat the rest of the Chinese food?"

"Just the fried rice."

"Raaaaeee!"

"Ven." The grey girl sighed, "Garfield, I'm tired. Don't you want to bug someone else for now?"

"Nope. You're the only one for me," Garfield replied with a big cheesy smile.

"Great." Raven muttered before sipping her tea. She walked over to the carpeted area with her tea and rice and sat cross legged on the ground.

The microwave dinged from Garfield's food. "Man, I'm beat. Dick is already hounding us. It's gonna be hell from here on out. I'm almost excited to leave and go under cover." A short silence ensued. "Guess what! I have an amazing idea for my persona!" Another silence. "Raven, don't you wanna hear about it?"

"No."

"Okay, but it's pretty amazing, if I do say so myself." Another silence. "So do you have any ideas about your persona?"

"Yes, actually. A girl whose mother was raped by a demon lord making her a satanic spawn and prophesied to carry out the end of the world." Her reply dripped with sarcasm.

Garfield set down his food and walked over to where Raven sat, "Rae… I know I've asked this before, but are you going to be okay doing this mission?"

"Gar, I'm fine. I'm sorry for that outburst. I'm just tired and you're being extra talkative right now when I just need peace and quiet." _And maybe I'm still a little freaked out about whatever happened last night but obviously not that much because it wasn't a big deal or anything_, she added silently.

Changeling crouched down and put his hand on her shoulder. "Rae," She rolled her eyes at the nickname but he continued on, "I want you to know that no matter what happens out there, I'll have your back." He moved his thumb across her collarbone once, twice. It reminded her of their touch last night. Or, more accurately, her touching him. She wondered what his thoughts were at the time and what they are now. Shrugging Gar's hand off her shoulder and the questions out of her mind, Raven replied, "Garfield, I can do this. Don't worry about me too much. Especially when we're in the Brotherhood. I'm not even sure how often we'll be able to talk without arising suspicion. Who knows if our personas will be interconnected in any way. I appreciate that you'll help but I ask that you do so only when absolutely necessary. We cannot compromise our position."

"Jesus, Rae-"

"Ven."

"Ven. I _know_ that. Sometimes you act like it's my first day as a Titan or something. Or even my first day as a hero."

"Well, sometimes you act like it _is_."

"Oh, my god. Just listen to me Rae."

"I _have_ been unfortunately for the past twenty minutes."

"Just hear me out! I understand what you're saying. We'll need to talk about this with Dick. We need personas with some sort of relationship. But even so, I will not, under any circumstances, let anything happen to you if it can be helped."

Raven was stunned silent for a minute. Garfield's statement had so much conviction. And about _her_ well being? Her cheeks turned a shade of pink.

"Thank you, Gar." Raven said sincerely, breaking eye contact, "I know that when we get there, we're going to have to be 100% in it together. I won't let anything happen to you either." Raven looked back up and gave her signature small smile. Changeling, in return, smiled largely showing off his canine.

"Raven, Garfield!"

Their heads swiveled toward the door.

"Are you two ready to head back out?" Nightwing asked.

They both looked at their unfinished meals.

"Yes." They replied in unison.

"Okay, good. We're going to go to the indoor gym now. I want to see every one of your physical strengths and weaknesses. It will help us create a villain that will allow you use your biggests advantages."

Raven nodded while Changeling responded with a vigorous cheer.

When they arrived at the gym, Nightwing turned to face the two. "This morning I had you strategize, forced you to use your brains not brawns. Or, attempted to." He said the last part pointedly at Garfield, who just whistled and avoided eye contact with his leader. "When you're outnumbered and outmatched, you might have to think more outside of the box. When you're one on one, you have to think directly about your opponent. Now, you'll spar each other. Still no powers. I want you to gauge each other's fighting styles, although I'm sure you know them pretty well. Just attack and react as best and efficiently that the situation allows. Now get in your fighting stances."

Raven and Changeling walked to the middle of the floor mat and faced each other. Changeling went down and crouched low to the ground like an ape, while Raven assumed a regular fighting position.

"Titans, GO!"

Changeling sprang up, using his legs as the main propeller, and reached out to grab Raven. She ducked and rolled several feet away landing back on her feet in a crouching position. He came at her from behind and Raven struck out to kick his side. He snatched her leg mid kick and whirled her around until he tossed her to the wall. Raven swung around to meet the wall and spring off it, landing feet on the ground. She sprang towards him to punch. He blocked her arm before it could connect and countered. Raven ducked to slide between Gar's legs and elbowed him in the head. Changeling went down with an "euff" while Raven lunged to pin him down. Gar rolled over and her knee connected with the ground. He grabbed for her and they both grappled on the ground for several minutes.

"Okay! Both of you off the ground!" Robin yelled, "You both rely on your powers way too much. Your technique is sloppy. I'm going to have you two warm up every morning with a sparring match."

The two Titans on the ground moaned from annoyance. Raven breathed a slow sigh of resignation laying flat on the ground with her eyes closed. She opened them to find Changeling sitting upright and staring at her. When he caught her eye he gave her a gentle smile. Unsure of how to respond, Raven ignored him. She rose and brushed the dirt off her outfit.

"I guess if we're done for the day I'll go shower," she said.

Garfield, still on the sparring mat, was left attempting to reassure that any straight healthy guy would love to roll around the ground with a beautiful woman like Raven. Totally normal.

Raven floated back wondering why she felt like the sun had just shined on her face.


End file.
